Immune activation of peripheral blood and mucosal CD3+ lymphocyte cytokine profiles in children with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms

Gastrointestinal pathology, characterized by lymphoid nodular hyperplasia and entero-colitis, has been demonstrated in a cohort of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Systemic and intestinal mucosal immune dysregulation was assessed in ASD children with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (n = 18), and typically developing controls (n = 27), including non-inflamed controls (NIC) and inflamed GI control children with Crohn's disease (CD), by analysis of intracellular cytokines in CD3(+) lymphocytes. In both peripheral blood and mucosa, CD3(+)TNF alpha(+) and CD3(+) IFN gamma(+) were increased in ASD children compared with NIC (p < 0.004) and reached levels similar to CD. In contrast, peripheral and mucosal CD3(+) IL-10(+) were markedly lower in ASID children with GI symptoms compared with both NIC and CD controls (p < 0.02). In addition, mucosal CD3(+) IL-4(+) cells were increased (p < 0.007) in ASD compared with NIC. There is a unique pattern of peripheral blood and mucosal CD3+ lymphocytes intracellular cytokines, which is consistent with significant immune dysregulation, in this ASID cohort. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.